About ECOZI
Who we are
The Education Coalition of Zimbabwe (ECOZI), established in June 2009, is a network of Non Government (NGO) International Non Governmental Organizations (INGOs), Teacher Unions, Faith Based Organizations, Community Based Organizations and Civil Society Organizations’ (CSO) in Zimbabwe with an interest and working within the education sector. ECOZI is an apolitical and non partisan coalition that unites civil society in the common pursuit of the right to quality, compulsory and free basic education for all, with emphasis on public fundededucation.
Locally ECOZI is a member of the Education Coordinating Group (ECG), which is a Local Education Group (LEG) chaired by the Minister and attended by senior management in the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education (MoPSE), donor partners, DFID, World Bank UN agencies, UNESCO and UNICEF. ECOZI represents civil society organizations in the ECG. ECOZI is also a member of the African Network Campaign on Education for All (ANCEFA), a regional coalition which advocates for education to be accessible and free for all and the attainment of the Education for All (EFA) goals. The coalition is also a member to the Global Campaign for Education (GCE) which is the global coalition for education.
Our Work
The mandate of the coalition is to project the civil society voice and participation in government policy and program formulation, implementation and review to ensure that education benefits all especially the vulnerable, hard to reach and the marginalized. The coalition also advocates for increased, innovative and efficient education financing from the government and also from donor partners to ensure that no child is left behind. The coalition coordinates the civil society voice in education by carrying out advocacy in policy and research as a way of lobbying the government to address issues of policy gaps, formulation and implementation. ECOZI works with the government especially the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, donor partner and other agencies such as UNICEF, and UNESCO in joint sector planning, joint monitoring and joint sector reviews.
Having worked on the Education for All (EFA) goals and the Millennium Development Goal no 2 and 3 the coalition is working on the Education Agenda 2030. The EFA and the MDG were largely unfinished business hence the Education AGENDA 2030. Starting 2015 ECOZI had a special focus on the UN Sustainable Development Goal no 4 which is to ‘Ensure inclusive and quality education for all and promote lifelong learning’.
ECOZI is a democratically run coalition currently with 52 diverse members. A General Assembly is convened annually as the highest decision making body and gives mandate to the nine member National Management Committee that is elected after every two years from the membership. The coalition has thematic committees which are; Early Childhood Development, Basic Education and Adult Literacy, Gender and Disability, Life Skills and Quality Education. Each member belongs to at least one committee and the chairpersons are committee members in the National Management Committee. The coalition has provincial chapters in the following provinces, Bulawayo, Manicaland, Mashonaland Central, Mashonaland West, Masvingo, Matabeleland North and Midlands. There is a secretariat based in Harare that is headed by the National Coordinator.
ECOZI is a countrywide network with active members in all the 10 provinces of Zimbabwe. Initiatives are done using the different chapters within the country and the five thematic areas which are Early Childhood Development (ECD), Basic Education and Adult literacy, Quality, Gender, and Life skills.
1. CAMPAIGN ON A RELEVANT EDUCATION CURRICULUM
- Since 2014 ECOZI has been campaigning for the review of the curriculum so that it has produce quality relevant education. The coalition was part of the consultation on consultation and continues to be part of the monitoring of the implementation. Going forward the coalition continues to lurch own to curriculum implementation to check the its feasibility, adaptability and coherence of government policies. More importantly the coalition wants the population to own the process and the government to fully finance it. This will be juxtaposed by the advocacy for alignment of the Education Act and other concomitant education policies to the constitution, the SDG4 and CESA
2. RIGHT TO EDUCATION INDEX
- Since the Dakar framework of action ECOZI has been campaigning for the right to education as the education for All. Currently under the SDG 4 ECOZI is pursuing advocacy on free, quality inclusive and lifelong education for all. ECOZI was entrusted by Results Educational Fund to conduct the Right to Education Index being one of the five countries worldwide to complete a questionnaire feeding into the Index
3. EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION(RESEARCH AND ADVOCACY)
- ECOZI carried out a Situational Analysis on the Infrastructural needs of ECD centres which has revealed an astounding gap. ECOZI continues to advocate for provision of safe learning environments for all learners including ECD. Currently ECOZI together with The Zimbabwe network of Early Childhood Development Actors (ZINECDA) are working on advocating for School Readiness as National level.
4. EDUCATION FINANCING
- ECOZI has been campaigning for increased public financing of education and the tracking of resources.
- The coalition is engaging the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education (MoPSE) on school financial management systems and governance so as to enhance accountability, good governance and transparency. It is also aimed at ensuring innovative financing of education.
Currently the coalition has a membership of 52 bona fide members ‘focusing on Early Childhood Development, Girls Education, Disability, and Life skills in Zimbabwe.
NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL PLATFORMS
- Education Coordinating Group. This is a local education group which is chaired by the Minister. In attendance will be the Permanent Secretary, the Principal Directors, the directors, donor representatives (DFID, EU), UNICEF, UNESCO and ECOZI representing CSOs, NGOs teacher unions and other partners.
- ANCEFA: Africa Network for Campaign for Education for All. This is a regional coalition of other 35 National Education Coalitions in African countries
- GCE: Global Campaign for Education. This is a global coalition with a membership of over 100 National Education Coalitions and three regional networks; ANCEFA for Africa, ASPBEA for Asia and Pacific and CLADE for the Caribbean and Latin America.
- Drafting Committee of the ESSP (2016-2020), Teachers Professional Standards technical working group, Joint Sector Reviews with MoPSE, ECOZI conduct regular engagements with PPC on Education & MOPSE advocating for quality inclusive education for all.
ECOZI IS A MEMBER WITH FULL VOTING RIGHTS TO THE FOLLOWING
1. Education Coordinating Group. This is a local education group which is chaired by the Minister. In attendance will be the Permanent Secretary, the Principal Directors, the directors, donor representatives (DFID, EU), UNICEF, UNESCO and ECOZI representing CSOs, NGOs teacher unions and other partners.
2. ANCEFA: Africa Network for Campaign for Education for All. This is a regional coalition of other 35 National Education Coalitions in African countries
3. GCE: Global Campaign for Education. This is a global coalition with a membership of over 100 National Education Coalitions and three regional networks; ANCEFA for Africa, ASPBEA for Asia and Pacific and CLADE for the Caribbean and Latin America.
4. Drafting Committee of the ESSP (2016-
ECOZI is a democratically run coalition with a membership of 42 diverse members. An General Assembly is convened annually as the highest decision making body and gives mandate to the nine member National Management Committee that is elected after every two years from the membership. The coalition has thematic committees which are; Early Childhood Development, Basic Education and Adult Literacy, Gender and Disability, Life Skills and Quality Education. Each member belongs to at least one committee and the chairpersons are committee members in the National Management Committee. The coalition has provincial chapters in the following provinces, Bulawayo, Manicaland, Mashonaland Central, Mashonaland West, Masvingo, Matebeleland North and Midlands. There is a secretariat that is headed by the National Coordinator.
